In celebration of World Gibbon Day (24th October 2024) we are delighted to give you an update on our pileated gibbon pair.
Here at Colchester Zoo, we are home to two pileated gibbons: one male named Lae and one female called Qiwen. Pileated gibbons are a sexually dimorphic ape species meaning that males and females look very different. Therefore, it is easy to tell our pair apart. Lae is black in colour and has a very white face which matches his hands and feet, whereas, Qiwen has light grey fur with a dark face and stomach.
Qiwen arrived at Colchester Zoo back in May 2023 and has been slowly settling into her new home. Over the past year, she has developed a great relationship with her companion, Lae, and the pair can quite often be seen together in their habitat at Rivers Edge.
They have been observed grooming one another and have even been singing together which is a sign of their close bond. In the wild, males and females sing coordinated duets to advertise the relationship between them, so we are delighted every time we hear their lovely song.
This pair were matched as part of a breeding recommendation, so our fingers are crossed for an infant in the near future. Breeding programmes such as these are vital for the conservation of this species as they are currently classed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The main threat facing this species is habitat loss as many wild forests in Cambodia, Laos and south-east Thailand are being converted into farmland. This has led to local extinctions in some areas.
Did you know these gibbons have very long arms with hook-like fingers for swinging through the forest. Thick skin pads are found on their bottoms for prolonged sitting when they are not on the move.
Be sure to visit our pair at Rivers Edge on your next visit and learn all about the importance of this fantastic species.
